Matt Carthy (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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605. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason he decided to exclude suckler beef farmers from the €50 million emergency beef fund; if he will publish the advice and analysis that led to this decision; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13434/20]

Barry Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The €50 million Beef Exceptional Aid package is targeted towards beef finishers in recognition of the fact that they have borne the most immediate and severe economic impact arising from the market disturbance arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Supporting finishers will have a positive impact on suckling and store buying enterprises, as it will help to maintain the market into which these operators sell, primarily in the autumn. 

The economic rationale which underpins the scheme will be published in due course in the notification to the EU Commission for inclusion of the measure under the COVID temporary state aid framework.

In terms of supports specifically for suckler farmers; in addition to the €300 million Beef Data and Genomics Programme, which is the core Rural Development Programme support targeted at suckler farmers, and other supports such as the Areas of Natural Constraint scheme which is very significant to suckler farm incomes, the 2020 Beef Environmental Efficiency Programme - Sucklers (BEEP-S) is targeted specifically at suckler farmers and aims to enhance the operational, economic and environmental efficiency of suckler enterprises.